The IFA grain committee recently completed a price survey for certified seed of spring cereals.

The survey showed a significant price range from €480/t to €600/t for spring barley, €490 to €550/t for spring wheat, with oats ranging from €490 to €560/t.

Some of the big spring cereal counties like Laois and Wexford have somewhat keener prices, with good value for barley also seen in Wicklow, Louth and north Tipperary.

Galway stands out as being very much at the top end on price, with €600/t quoted for a range of spring barley varieties. But when Galway is excluded, the majority of prices range in the €500 to €540/t bracket for all cereals, with some counties down to €490/t.

In most counties there was really no difference between the cost of barley, wheat and oat certified seed but it was noticeable that barley tended to be cheaper in the bigger barley counties.